SOME CHANGE NEEDED. 447 



that by exacting a fee for admission to these trials of speed, more 

 money could be raised and more easily, for the payment of pre- 

 miums and for the incidental expenses attending the exhibitions, 

 than could be done by assessments, or by fees for membership 

 in the society. Consequently, for some years current opinions ran 

 strongly in favor of locating, and little or no ill effects were an- 

 ticipated from so doing. But before very long it was plainly 

 apparent that these trotting matches were absorbing more than 

 their proper share of attention, and were detracting in equal 

 measure from the interest previously manifested in objects of un- 

 questioned utility. 



Some of the society have resisted this encroachment by stead- 

 ily defeating all attempts to obtain trotting courses within enclosed 

 grounds, and these, for the most part, have successfully pursued 

 the even tenor of former aims and methods ; and these are, so far as 

 I am able to judge, at the present time accomplishing more toward 

 the proper ends in view than are those which continue to make 

 the trotting match a prominent feature of their exhibitions. The 

 latter suffer, not only from the inevitable diversion from strictly 

 agricultural objects, but in larger measure than do the others, 

 from the withdrawal or loss of interest on the part of substantial, 

 intelligent, influential farmers who dislike the prevailing modes of 

 management. They also suffer as before alluded to, since by con- 

 fining their exhibitions to one spot, only those within a narrow 

 circle become interested in, or are profited by their efforts. 



Earnest and protracted discussions have been frequent among 

 the friends of agriculture as to the proper solution of this trouble- 

 some problem. Difficulties appear in every direction. On the 

 one hand it is claimed that the rearing of horses is as legitimate a 

 branch of farm husbandry as the rearing of oxen ; and that, inas- 

 much as speed constitutes an important element of money value 

 in the horse, the man who raises a good horse is as fairly entitled 

 to an opportunity to show his excellence in that respect, as the 

 grower of sheep is to exhibit the superiority of flesh or of fleece 



